Piedmont Hiring!

[DASHDRIVER]

Piedmont Airlines (USAirways Express) Is Hiring 75 new FO's by April! Good news for people stuck on the outside. Company is growing dramatically ordering a lot of new planes and picking up a lot of new routes from mainline USAirways.

 

[MasterFly]

Jets?

Does anyone know if Piedmont has any plans to get jets?

 

[DASHDRIVER]

Jets

Jets at piedmont has been a hot topic within the company recently. All of the wholly owned Express carriers (Piedmont, Allegany, PSA) have joined forces to fight the Mainline pilot union who is currently keeping them from getting jets. Progress on the matter seems to be in site but i wouldn't expect to see one till the end of 2002 at least.

 

[MasterFly]

More Questions

Thanks for replying.

Can you please post what Piedmont's pay scale is? And about how it is to fly for them? Also, is it hard to hold a Florida base as a new hire?

Thanks a lot.

 

[DASHDRIVER]

Life at Piedmont

I gotta say life here is good. Pay for the first year here is $24,000 min but most make around $31,000. It doesn't go up as fast as a lot of other regionals but at least your living on more than McDonalds in come during probation. It is hard to get a Florida base in the your first bid but not impossible. Two peole out of the ten I started with got a Florida base. They are also opening a new crew base in Roanoke in Feb. Skeduales are good and the people you work with are great. I would recomend it as a great first airline. Downs, longer upgrade time, no jets (yet), being a wholly owned you have to put up with what Mainline wants

 

[45000BTU's]

Use to work at Piedmont. It's a great company to work for. Their only downfall is their affiliation with Mainline USAIR. Jets may be in discussion but I wouldn't hold your breath. That rumor's been around for a long time. Good for them if it comes true. What's this about aircraft orders? Are you referring to the Shuttle America 300's?

On the upside the Dash is a great airplane, the flying is plentiful, and the crews know how to have fun. You can't beat the pay and the chance to fly to the FL. Keys. Upgrade may take awhile but its like that everywhere now. Guys, get comfortable, as of now, we're all in it for the long haul. Good Luck PDT pilots, hope the effort pays off!

45000 BTU's

 

[dondk]

Another former PDT... I agree with 45000BTU's assesment of the company...

Mainline is a bear to deal with and they are as cheap as they come.

Fl bases for the new hire... it depends on how many upgrade from a FL base. I got TPA right out of class, otherwise count on a good 3-6 months but it is possible.

Dash is a good aircraft and you cannot beat the $$$ with decent work rules.

Downside, getting jet's, and some of the equipment is getting up there in years.

Upgrade is 2 1/2 years and has been that way for about a year now. I would think PDT will grow and continue to do so, I am not too sure about Airways though, they are not the most stable of companies right now.
Lines... about mid 80's with 12 + off

Best of luck to all

 

[AV1ATRX]

I would LOVE to get hired by Piedmont. I've been sending my resume to them since the spring and haven't ever heard anything. Is it easier to get based at ORF or SBY? I live in VA and would hate to end up based in FL. Also, I know this is a stupid question, so please forgive my ignorance, as this is something I know I should know already, but if USA goes under, would the other three cease to exsist? I mean, should I keep trying to get hired by them if they are just going to die within a couple of years? Please don't flame me for not knowing this kind of stuff, I'm still new to the whole airline thing... And I guess I should know in case some day they actually call me... Thanks to anybody who answers!

 

[45000BTU's]

ORF or SBY Hmmmm..... Not Sure, I would say equally easy, but it just depends on what is open. Sounds like Roanoke is becoming a new base so who knows? As far as the future of Piedmont? Anyones guess. When the whole USAir/UAL thing was going on, sounded as though they would become ACA. If you asked anyone at Piedmont, they'd tell you they could stand alone if they had too. I've heard that Piedmont and the rest of the whollyowneds are what kept UsAirways afloat for so long. Flying an empty 737 from CLT to GSO sure wasn't making them the big bucks! Time will tell. I will say this. The planes and the routes are attractive to anyone who would buy UsAirways but the cost of labor could be hard to swallow. UsAirways owns Piedmont so they hold the answer. I'd go for it anyway. Atleast you'll build some quality time in a decent a/c (bigger than B1900) and you may get lucky if they are bought out. Maybe in the integration of seniority lists, you'll end up becoming more senior to some poor guy at the carrier that acquires them. Good Luck to ya!

45000

 

[DASHDRIVER]

Junior Bases

Currently the most junior bases are EWN and ORF. ORF takes a lot of people being a double domicile. Newport News and Norfolk. Rumor has it that there won't be any forced relocations to Roanoke. They have had enough volenteer to fill it. If your tring to get in to ORF, CHO, SBY, or EWN you have good chances.